climate reality: communicating climate change to the next generation
TRANSCRIPT
Climate Reality: Communicating climate change to the next generation
Dr. Cara Augustenborg
Celsius Science Seminar
Dublin City University
March 5, 2015
@CAugustenborg@ClimateReality
“We are powering a social revolution for climate action.”
Climate Leadership Corps Training, Istanbul, June 2013
• Climate change: children’s challenge – Intergenerational Justice
- UNICEF (2013) unicef.org.uk/climatechange
• Schoolchildren as educators - Marchant (1996) J. of Biological
Education 30(4).
• Do Voters Affect or Elect Policies? – Lee et al. (2004) The
Quarterly Journal of Economics 119(3).
Why focus on the next generation?
Climate Reality school visits
2014 school visits:
• St. Tiernan’s Community School
• Holy Child Community School
• Blackrock College
• Holy Child Secondary School, Killiney
Age: 12-18 (avg. = 15)
Gender: 50:50 male-female
Total survey responses: 237
Survey • Knowledge
• Feelings
Climate Reality Talk
Survey• Knowledge
• Interest
• Feelings
Current understanding of climate change
Top five knowns:
• Changing temperature
• GHGs/Greenhouse effect
• Weather impacts
• Global warming
• Melting ice / ice caps
Previous climate change education? 76% yes
Current understanding:
• 24% “poor” / “below average”
• 50% “moderate”
• 26% “above average” / “strong”
N = 237
Feelings about climate change
Feeling “I feel this strongly”
Concerned 39%
Powerless 31%
Worried 30%
Alarmed 27%
Fascinated 27%
Inquisitive 27%
Disappointed 27%
N = 209
Manhattan, New YorkOctober 29, 2012
Favourite climate change topics after Climate Reality talk
1. Weather impacts
2. Changes in temperature
3. Eskimos / Arctic
4. Future impacts
5. SolutionsWorld map of yearly deviation from the long-
term global average surface temperature (1951-1980 base period), 1884-2013 (NASA)
Interest in climate change (after Climate Reality)
Want to learn more about:
• Solutions (incl. renewable energy, personal action)
• Weather impacts
• Future projections
• Melting ice / ice caps
• Temperature change
Before-After Climate Reality comparison
Self-assessed understanding of climate change:
Pre-talk Post-talk
Above average / strong 26% 73%
Moderate 50% 21%
Poor / below average 24% 7%
N = 237
Before-After Climate Reality comparison
After hearing this talk are you interested… More Less Neither
In the topic of climate change 80% 2% 18%
In doing something to solve climate change
68% 3% 29%
N = 228
Before-After Climate Reality comparison
How feelings changed:
N = 210
Feeling More
Concerned 67%
Fascinated 59%
Alarmed 48%
Feeling Less
Confused 50%
Bored 38%
Helpless 31%
• Are generally aware and concerned/worried/interested
• Interested in link between climate change and (extreme) weather
• Respond to animations/videos
• Like personal / human interest stories (e.g. Eskimos)
• Want to know about solutions
With respect to climate change, teenagers:
• Confidence in understanding of climate change
• Interest in climate change
• Likelihood of climate action
• Concern about climate change
• Empowerment
Just one hour of climate education can potentially increase:
• Education vs. Entertainment
•Objective vs. Inspiring
• Impacts vs. Solutions
•Concern vs. Empowerment
Climate Reality: Communicating climate change to the next generation
Find the Balance
@CAugustenborg@ClimateReality
Climate Gathering: Climate Conversations 2015 Launch EventGeorge Marshall, David Begg, Claire O’Connor, Oisin Coghlan, Terry Prone
March 18, 7pm, Liberty Hall Dublin www.Eventbrite.ie